Rain water harvesting system goes ‘to drains’ in Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur: Monsoon will come and go and so will the water – much needed- it pours! There is little system in Jamshedpur to harvest the rain water. An estimated 80 per cent of buildings in Jamshedpurincluding multi-storied apartments and homes have no water harvesting system.

A look at the newly constructedcomplexes or residential colonies gives a clear indication that authorities are giving little importance to the conserve the rain water. Many newly constructed buildings in the city have no facility to restore the rain water. According to information, though the administration on several occasions had given orders to ensure installation of rain water harvesting systems in new constructions, but it is yet to take action to make people strictly implement it. Meanwhile experts say that with water crisis breaking out with unceasing reg- ularity in the city, rainwater harvesting is a permanent solution to a perennial problem.

Jamshedpur has witnessed severe water crisis this season. There have been reports of failures of boring because of deepening of water table. “There are many buildings including Government buildings that have no water harvesting system. This results in huge loss of water. The water harvesting system should be the priority of the department,” said an official of drinking water and sanitation department.

“I think rain water har-vesting is the need of the hour and we have to promote the concept in every possible way.

The administration should also lend support to our endeavour. We have successfully launched water harvesting projects at Tata Worker’s Union and Beldih Lake Flats and many more proj- ects will come,” said an official of Jusco. It may be mentioned that rain water harvesting is a way to capture the rain water when it rains, store that water above ground or charge the underground and use it later.

Though the concept has caught the imagination of the people in South, but in Jharkhand it has a long way to go. Meanwhile Rotary International, Jamshedpur under the leadership of past district Governor Ronald D’costa has made significant progress in implementing and spreading the message of water conservation. Experts said that the city receives a good 1400 mm. of rainfall annually.

But this purest form of water goes waste, flowing into the drains. The solution is harvesting of rainwater. “It is the least expensive form of augmenting water supply. Though water from some sources is hard but rainwater is clean and soft. It reduces chances of floods, soil erosion, and silting of lakes. In many areas, groundwater contains high amounts of dissolved chemicals, including fluorides but they are absent in rain water,” said Prakash Sharma, a citybased social worker.